The legend of blues guitarist Robert Johnson is a neat enough one from far enough away. You have a young, ambitious kid who sells his soul to the Devil for limitless talent at playing Delta blues. He gets his wish, but dies after doing just 41 recordings, an apparent victim of ole’ Scratch’s screwy contracts. … Continue reading
If you grew up in England during the ’80s, Margaret Thatcher might be at least one of those things in your mind. Since I grew up in the States, I know her more from the parodies and commentaries in comics by Berkely Breathed and Dave Sim. Granted, Sim’s take might have been slightly colored by … Continue reading
In today’s insta-fame world, it could be easy to forget that there used to be a time when getting your art seen and heard by the public was left in the hands in a precious few gatekeepers. For musicians, there was this rather odd and ancient tradition known as the “demo,” wherein they would record songs … Continue reading
Last week, Devin wrote about SciFi Wire writing about the New York Daily News writing about the rumour that Jake Gyllenhaal is in talks to become either Shazam, Billy Batson, or both. Aaaaand…not so much. Speaking to IGN’s FIlm Force, Shazam! writer John August blew off that idea like Devin dismissing Jake’s chops in act … Continue reading
Barry Levinson is making a new film with 2929 Entertainment called What Just Happened?, and Catherine Keener and Robin Wright-Penn have signed on to provide a desperately needed dose of talent. Why is the situation so desperate? Because the plot centers around a movie producer trying to survive in Hollywood while navigating yet another broken … Continue reading
When it first appeared on BBC as a serialized political thriller, the six episode State of Play won both awards and praise in the UK. The reviews are a fun read, especially when they describe the show as being "Buttock-clenchingly tense". Fantastic! I’ll be the first to vote for more of those blurbs playing across … Continue reading
You could go to an amazingly romantic lake setting right at twilight, cover the surface of the water with rowboats meant for cuddlers and lovers, fill those boats with cash and still not have anywhere near as much money as New Line is still making off romance hit The Notebook. So it’s no surprise that … Continue reading
I know way too many of you are fans of the dancing teen romance genre and hold a special place on your shelves for stuff like Dirty Dancing, Save the Last Dance and Step Up. I dunno if it’s the exhilaration of the final dance number where the couple tears it up in one another’s … Continue reading
1. EMPIRE – APRIL 2007 The biggest and best movie magazine in the world. Made in the UK. Huge. That’s all you need to know. This issue’s strong points: Interestingly enough, a lot of the best stuff in this issue is kinda hidden. Although it’s barely mentioned on the cover, the pinnacle is their fantastic … Continue reading
If there’s a director who has been working just on the edge of the mainstream who I have most been rooting for, it has to be David Gordon Green. He’s got such a unique sensibility, even though you could easily draw comparisons between his work and that of Terence Malick (I think Green is much … Continue reading